At a Disadvantage
by prince-of-the-palmtrees
Summary: (genderbent AU) After the promised day, Ed is without her alchemy. Royce Mustang who wants to protect Ed, keeps her from getting involved in any dangerous missions. This frustrates an already depressed Ed. throw a serial killer who targets those with automail into the mix and chaos ensues. pairing-royed also, this is my first fanfic, so reviews would be mush welcome!


Genderbent AU. **Everyone** is genderbent

Set after the promised day. Everything is the same except Ed stayed with the military instead of traveling and Hughes is still alive.

**disclaimer! **i do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or any of its characters

Royce sat at her desk staring at the piles of paperwork that awaited her signature. She really should get to them; Hawkeye will have her head if they aren't signed by the end of the day. But it can't be helped. There are more pressing issues.

Issues that happen to be sitting right outside her office.

Ed was sitting in her own desk absentmindedly drawing transmutation circles in the margins of her notebook. Ever since the promised day she had been quieter. Of coarse she was happy; she had finally gotten her sisters body back. But there was something off about her.

Her temper seemed to have cooled off. This would have been a good thing, had her anger not been replaced with gloom. She seemed to float around the office. No door slamming. No stomping around. And worst of all no short rants. No matter how hard Royce tried to provoke her.

She was also more apologetic and passive. It was off-putting to say the least, and very "un-Ed

Roy wanted desperately to know what was bothering her young subordinate. She thought it may have something to do with the loss of her alchemy, but Ed had yet to utter a single complaint on the subject. Did she miss Al perhaps? Was she having "boy problems"? Allison and Wesley _had _started dating (if Hughes's gossip was to be trusted.) Perhaps she was jealous…

Just then, as if on cue, May Hughes burst through the door of the office, flourishing pictures of her son.

"Look! Isn't he precious! Gabe and I brought him to a petting zoo for the first time! Just look at how careful he is with the ducklings! He's so kind, just like I raised him to be. "

Hughes was currently bombarding Jean with the most recent and well-documented outing of the Hughes family, while the rest of the office looked on in amusement. Ritz was the one who finally spoke up.

"May, did you have a particular reason for coming here?"

"Hmm" Hughes said, looking up from her photographs to address Hawkeye

"Oh yes, I need Royce's help with the investigation I'm working on."

Hearing her name, Royce stepped out of her office, glad to have been given a valid excuse to ignore her paperwork.

"What investigation"

Hughes again shifted her attention and in a much more somber tone answered Royce "there has been a string of murders…" she glanced around at everyone else in the room, pausing for a moment on Ed then returning her gaze to Royce." We should discuss this in your office."

"Ok May, what is this all about…" Royce said as she closed the door to her office.

"Well… you must have heard about all the murders…"

"No, Why don't you enlighten me"

Hughes sighed and gave Royce a you-know-what-I'm-talking-about-but-you're-just-pl aying-dumb " look before elaborating.

"Over the past month a total of four individuals have been found murdered." She paused, grimacing "Well, destroyed would be a better word actually. They have all been found in alleyways…tortured. Also… all of the victims had automail…"

Royce realized why Hughes had wanted to speak in private now. She didn't want to Pique Eds interest. The team had been avoiding involving Ed in any dangerous missions because, weather or not they wanted to admit it, Ed was at a disadvantage without her alchemy. And knowing how Headstrong Ed could be, they didn't want her to over speculate her power in a fight, and get hurt.

"So, why do you need my help?"

"Well, my team and I have found out who is most likely responsible"

May handed a manila folder to Royce who began to inspected its contents

"His name is Allen White" Hughes began. "His sister died during automail surgery two months ago and he has reportedly been seen wandering the streets at night." Pointing to a photograph Hughes continued, " we even have a picture of him exiting one of they alleys that a victim was found in later the next day."

Royce looked at the image; a tall slender man carrying a large maroon carpetbag was walking out of an alley. He seemed to be looking around, a morbid, and disturbingly complacent expression on his face.

"So you want me to reprimand him for you"

"Yes, we know where he lives and where to find him but I expect that he will put up a fight. He was, if you read my full report on him, a soldier during Ishval. I was hoping you and you're team would aid in he arrest."

Royce, finishing flipping through the report looked up at May. "Of coarse, when were you planning on making the arrest?"

"Tomorrow afternoon at 6 PM, He should be home from work by then" Hughes began to walk over to the door then added "All the details about where you and your team need to be, as well as what to do if White retaliates are in that folder." And with that she made her leave.

Royce sat in her desk for a while longer before leaving the office herself. She walked over to Ed who had actually finished most of her paperwork.

"You seem to have made **short work** of all that " Royce said smirking while motioning the stack of signed papers on Eds desk.

Ed glared up at Royce for a moment before returning to the document she had been reading. No rant, not even a response.

Royce scowled but added "You can head home early, You've done enough work for today."

Ed raised her eyebrows and turned away from her work once again to look at Royce. She had noticed how May had glanced at her before asking to speak to Royce alone. And now Royce was trying to get rid of her. She knew that the team was shielding her from something.

She hated it. But could she blame them? She was weak now. She couldn't perform the alchemy she had become famous for. All she ever did was paperwork, and occasionally get sent on mundane missions.

Ed felt useless. But that didn't mean she wasn't angry. She hated being excluded from information. And she knew that Royce, That manipulative bitch, was going to relay everything May had said as soon as she left.

Royce watched as Ed's expression turned from suspicious to angry. She suddenly sat up, sending her chair crashing to the ground. The whole office went silent. This was the first time since the promised day that Ed had had an outburst.

Ed just stood there for a moment glaring at Royce. Then she chucked darkly, "Oh I see how it is…I guess I'm just not good enough to be part of your team anymore."

Royce just stared back at the young woman in front of her, not knowing what to say

"hmph, I thought so" Ed said before Turning to leave.

"Fullmetal wait" Royce said, once again finding her voice.

Ed stopped at the use of her former title. And without even turning around she muttered "Don't fucking call me that anymore" and then she continued to storm out of the office.


End file.
